Political Ads No Longer Allowed on Your Land

[Lucia Nightfire]

So in today's Concierge & Land User Group we were told that political ads on your land are no longer allowed due to a rules change as of today.

Apparently there are people having Trump & Biden sign wars as well as posting them along the Linden roads.

Thoughts?

IBTL 😆

[BilliJo Aldrin]

I think it sucks. I had 47 Trump signs, all legal, all in accordance with the ad farm rules.  I had to pick them all up.

 

 

[Zack Massiel]

I think it’s great. I’m not in SL for real life politics.  

[Solar Legion]

Good.

[AlettaMondragon]

It's a bit of a double-edged blade effect. I consider myself politically neutral and I actually never bothered with political signs on Mainland other than the outright offensive ones. For example, as she said above, BilliJo indeed had a lot of small ad parcels with a Trump 2020 sign on each, in an entirely peaceful manner. I know several people that had problems with them, I have even let her know when some people managed to abuse those tiny parcels by boxing them and such... the point is, when it's on the land you own and the sign isn't offensive in any way, I think it isn't a problem. My personal opinion of course.

 

On the other hand, in May, one certain person started a spam campaign with signboards that feature several messages, regularly switching them on its faces, and he typically puts them on others' unattended lands on roadsides on all continents. The messages vary from blaming "The Government" and "Congress" for "Freedom and Liberty lost in America", to other similar offensive kind of messages suggesting an anarchist attitude. One particular message was "The largest threat to the American way of life is a Democrat". As of now, it has affected more than 100 parcels (with basically 1 of these objects placed on each land), with more than 80 already removed, and about 20 still left on parcels. It's a struggle to monitor them and definitely a struggle for Lindens to deal with it as well, especially since the person created another alt this month to put up new objects again.

 

Looking at the rules Lucia linked, I hope the decision was made in order to effectively cut back that spam attack (and to prevent others) in the first place (now I really regret that I didn't find time to go to the meeting but oh well), since that thing is a clear abuse even on the previous terms. I've seen a few sims with Trump and Biden signs facing each other, and "Any functional adult 2020" signs too, but personally, I just laugh at them when they're put up next to or facing each other, as they nearly aren't as annoying, and definitely not offensive, unlike the spam campaign I described. And when they're on the owner's own land, I really say it's something that the owner should have a right to, as long as it's being done in a peaceful and civilized manner.

[elise Voxel]

hmm... I don't like talking about politics in SL but I do respect that the platform was intended for people to do whatever they wanted, and politics may be part of that.

I just hope that when they say they can't be political in nature, they won't single out certain things. They'll ban anything and everything having to do with politics.

[asteriddle]

finally

though i'll admit i'll miss people messing with the signs by covering them up with memes, which is infinitely better. i say we put signs over the mainland with out of context memes from now on

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

1 hour ago, Lucia Nightfire said:

So in today's Concierge & Land User Group we were told that political ads on your land are no longer allowed due to a rules change as of today.

Apparently there are people having Trump & Biden sign wars as well as posting them along the Linden roads.

Thoughts?

IBTL 😆

I am not sure.

[Silent Mistwalker]

I wonder if this means no more political threads on the forum and how badly LL has been flooded with campaign sign ARs.

Politics can be so divisive, I can understand LL not wanting campaign signs all over mainland. 

I am Silent Mistwalker and I approve this message.

Yeah. That's the ticket!

[BilliJo Aldrin]

48 minutes ago, asteriddle said:

finally

though i'll admit i'll miss people messing with the signs by covering them up with memes, which is infinitely better. i say we put signs over the mainland with out of context memes from now on

While I was picking up my signs I found 6 or 7 signs that people had "vandalized". But, that was my own fault for not setting the land permissions to prevent such actions.

I'm more concerned with the silencing of peaceful free expression. Is this something new to appease the new overlords?

And if so, what will be banned next?

Since all life is politics, god only knows what thoughts will be banned.

As an aside, I did get a giant BLM sign across the road from my place removed after I ARed it.

Edited August 27, 2020 by BilliJo Aldrin
took out a word

[ChinRey]

53 minutes ago, asteriddle said:

though i'll admit i'll miss people messing with the signs by covering them up with memes, which is infinitely better.

Is that how "political activism" is done the American way?

Seriously, there are people from dozens of nations in SL. Imagine how it would look if everybody were using it as a platform for their political propaganda. Then add members of other activist groups of all kinds.

[Lindal Kidd]

44 minutes ago, BilliJo Aldrin said:

Since all life is politics, god only knows what thoughts will be banned.

This is what worries me about this new policy.  Anything and everything these days is getting politicized.  Take, as just one example, face masks.  If you wear one, you are seen as a commie socialist libtard progressive Demoncrat.  If you don't wear one, you're seen as a right-wing conspiracy theory believer gun nut white supremacist anti vaxxer Trumplover.  It's a frigging PUBLIC HEALTH matter, doggone it!  We've even had mask/no mask debates in SL, which just goes to show how political the issue's become...because masks in SL are in no way a public health issue!

So...LL...are avatar face masks going to be considered a political statement, and banned?  Asking for a friend.

[MirandaBowers]

I am not into politics in SL, as I try to escape it enough in the real world, but let me pose a hypothetical question...

If someone were to create a fake political sign with a fake name, but it mimicked the likeness of a real sign, does that still count as a violation? 

[Ardy Lay]

.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Ardy Lay

[Lillith Hapmouche]

53 minutes ago, ChinRey said:

Is that how "political activism" is done the American way?

Oh, not just American... so-called self-proclaimed political activists are doing a never tiring job of vandalizing other parties' campaign posters, tearing them down and destroying them, then cry blood and murder when charges are filed against them.

Back on topic: 

probably one of the best decisions ever made. /me likes.

[Ardy Lay]

17 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

So...LL...are avatar face masks going to be considered a political statement, and banned?  Asking for a friend.

About as much as shoes and underpants

[Ardy Lay]

When I was walking to the grocery after work a few days ago, I put a mask on earlier than usual.  I was about 2 blocks away when a vehicle stopped in a traffic lane and the driver started to shout something at me.  The passenger punched the driver in the back of the head.  That shut him up.  Would adding that the driver was male, the vehicle was a red pickup truck and both people in it were wearing red hats with white letters on them make this a political statement?  I don't know.  At first I was amused that the passenger had the moxie to slug the driver for being offensive, but thinking about the incident, I recall it occurred at the gate of a law enforcement facility and there was a camera trained on the truck at the time.  Perhaps the passenger just didn't want law enforcement officers to witness the driver perpetrating an assault or didn't want to be implicated in that crime and that anywhere else it would have been allowed to continue and perhaps I would have two assailants.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Ardy Lay

[Bree Giffen]

16 minutes ago, MirandaBowers said:

I am not into politics in SL, as I try to escape it enough in the real world, but let me pose a hypothetical question...

If someone were to create a fake political sign with a fake name, but it mimicked the likeness of a real sign, does that still count as a violation? 

If the sign looks political at a casual glance then I'd consider it political regardless of the true nature of the sign. 

[PermaRuthed]

There are two types of people: those who support evil and those who don't.

A political battle thread rarely ends well so I might as well ...

[Lindal Kidd]

In other news, today masked assailants attacked a masked victim in broad daylight.  Several masked witnesses saw the attack, but were unable to identify either the masked assailants or their victim.  Masked police officers quickly arrived on the scene and arrested several masked suspects, while masked medical personnel rendered aid to the masked victim.  Masked journalists attempted to question several masked people at the scene, but their responses were muffled by their masks.

[animats]

Welcome to the Ungren safe hub. Many points of view represented, including others not in this picture.

OK, which ones are now prohibited as "political"?

You see the problem. 

LL should have taken those monster ad boards down years ago for being over-height. Maximum allowed is 8m. Those boards go up over 200m. That's the right way to go at this. Time, place, and manner restrictions, as they're called in First Amendment jurisprudence. Restrictions should be content-neutral. Someone previously mentioned objects place on the land of others being used for political signs. That should be addressed as object littering and griefing, not political speech.

The LL terms of service say that a sign on your own house or business in SL is not "networked advertising". LL terms: "Networked advertising", means the use of multiple parcels on multiple regions for the primary purpose of advertising, usually on behalf of other inworld businesses or organizations outside of Second Life. The political sign restriction, as written, applies only to networked advertising. You should still be able to put a Trump 2020 or Black Lives Matter sign at your own house or business. Just not in bulk on ad sign parcels.

LL management, don't get into the censorship business. Not only will it annoy the customer base, your main asset, but you'll have to hire censors and pay them. Besides, we only have another 70 days of election season. Wait this out.

 

Edited August 27, 2020 by animats

[Drakonadrgora Darkfold]

What people complaining in this thread are failing to understand there is NO freedom of speech in sl. You are allowed here and only allowed to say here what LL ever decides they want to allow you to say. You have no special rights or entitlements or privileges and never did.

And US freedom of speech laws dont apply here and never did. This is a private run company and they have the right to limit or ban or censor any form of speech or topic or activity they feel is too disruptive for the service regardless what anyone thinks is fair or not.

[animats]

2 minutes ago, Drakonadrgora Darkfold said:

What people complaining in this thread are failing to understand there is NO freedom of speech in sl. You are allowed here and only allowed to say here what LL ever decides they want to allow you to say. You have no special rights or entitlements or privileges and never did.

And US freedom of speech laws don't apply here and never did. This is a private run company and they have the right to limit or ban or censor any form of speech or topic or activity they feel is too disruptive for the service regardless what anyone thinks is fair or not.

Interestingly, homeowner associations and planned unit development operators used to think that. They'd forbid yard signs. Many states now prohibit them from doing that. California is such a state.

We're about to have a big debate in Congress on how much censorship private social networks can, should, or must do. No legislative action is likely this session, but we may see something next session.

[Drakonadrgora Darkfold]

3 minutes ago, animats said:

Interestingly, homeowner associations and planned unit development operators used to think that. They'd forbid yard signs. Many states now prohibit them from doing that. California is such a state.

We're about to have a big debate in Congress on how much censorship private social networks can, should, or must do. No legislative action is likely this session, but we may see something next session.

that is different then this. for this is a not a public service so freedom of speech laws do not apply here or any other forums or service similar.

you dont actually own the land you have here in sl. your still just renting it from LL.

where as in those places you actually own the land.

Doubtful it will ever amount to anything because most major private services will fight any changes that would prevent them from preventing any sort of speech they felt was out of place for their service.

[Seicher Rae]

I only know of this issue by this thread, so unlike usual (hahahaha) I'm talking out mah butt.   :::pauses for sarcastic comments:::

On the one hand it IS a slippery slope. 

If what @animats is saying is true (no reason to think otherwise), if the political signs are ok on your own property, that mitigates the "zomg the sky is falling!" stuff. Those signs at the "safe hub" that animats showed, yeesh, that would make me feel anything but safe. My anxiety level just went up looking at the image.

Also, what I have seen here and elsewhere is that by "politics" the majority is American politics. It is annoying to me as an American. If I were another nationality it would be even more so, I'm sure. Maybe there are parts of the grid where we see lots of Canadian, or German, or Egyptian political warring, but I've not seen them. I've seen a smattering of British stuff, and that's usually here in the forums. 

I hate the ugliness of Mainland anyway, so maybe this is a good way to clear some of that up. O.o. now I've done it!

If anyone starts putting up huge signs in the new place where I'm renting, I'm complaining to management! (It isn't Mainland.)

Tentative thumbs up, but wary of The Law of Unexpected Consequences.